What was life like for returning American G.I.s after World War II?

Leftyhunter · Apr 12, 2024

thevanillasun said:
Hi there,

I'd like to learn more about the home life of G.I.s after the Second World War, specifically in the first few weeks/months/years of returning stateside. I know that this would have vastly varied depending on the individual and their personal situations/experiences, but are there any first or second-hand accounts that will help me to understand this time period better? These are a few of the questions I'd like to answer:
1) Were the majority of soldiers happy to be home, away from the dangers of war, or was there an overarching feeling of sudden confinement after returning home, esp. to small, rural towns after having seen and experienced so much? I mean, I can imagine for many the whirlwind of the past few years would have suddenly ground to a halt, returning the the relative mundanity of their pre-war lives. Was there at all a feeling that life had passed them by, and/or a struggle assimilating to domesticity?
2) What was the impact of Roosevelt's 'G.I. Bill', specifically in rural districts? Was there a mass city-bound migration due to this?
3) Did domestic and international travel suddenly see a spike post-war? For example, I'm not sure of it's validity, but I read somewhere that motorcycle sales skyrocketed, due to purchases by returning service members. Also, as far as I know the birth of the Interstate was due to a post-war travel boom...

I have watched William Wyler's impactful 1946 film The Best Years of Our Lives which, though a bit melodramatic, does address this subject, but I'd like to know more. Any information would be much appreciated. Cheers!

Daryl Gates - Wikipedia
Former controversial LAPD police chief Daryl Gates described himself had an ordinary seamen during WWII where he served as a very young sailor.
Gates went to law school at the University of Southern California a very prestigious university but choose to join the LAPD. Gates rose quickly through the ranks becoming a personal driver for police chief William Parker who was known to enjoy the occasional or not so occasional bottle of whiskey. Parker was though a well known law enforcement Cheif who didn't tolerate corruption although not the biggest fan of the civil rights movement.
Interestingly enough has a teenager Gates depending on the source either punched or kicked a Glendale, California police officer and could of been charged in juvenile court but somehow the charges were dropped. Gates father was an alcoholic and frequently was arrested by Glendale PD.
Gates is credited with founding the nations first SWAT Team by 1967 or so. Gates was at the Democratic Party Nomination in 1968 and was critical of the Chicago Police reaction to the demonstrators. Gates made controversial statements such has stating that choke holds" are safe on normal people" after an Afro American man died from LAPD officers using a choke hold. Gates angrily condemned " Drunken El Salvadorans" after a female LAPD officer was shot by a man from El Salvador. Los Angeles has a substantial population from El Salvador and they did not appreciate that remark. Gates did not get along with the mayor of Lis Angeles Tomas Bradley himself a former LAPD Captain and was fired after the 1992 LA riots.Pist firing Gates earned good money (not that he needed it has he received a substantial pension) as the host of his own radio show plus he designed video games.

Leftyhunter

dubsar · Apr 12, 2024

Leftyhunter said:
Highly doubtful these days that a star athlete with a brilliant future such has Bob Feller would put their highly lucrative athletic career on hold to risk their life for several years but back in the day that's what Bob Feller,Ted Williams and Robert Coleman ( not once but twice as Williams and Coleman were US Marine reserve pilots who also flew combat missions during the Korean War ) did. It really was a different era.
Leftyhunter

That happens very often when young people in any country feel that their country is actually threatened and could lose and their government is not hopelessly corrupt. We can all think of examples from the period we are not allowed to talk about

Leftyhunter · Apr 12, 2024

dubsar said:
That happens very often when young people in any country feel that their country is actually threatened and could lose and their government is not hopelessly corrupt. We can all think of examples from the period we are not allowed to talk about

Also @thevanillasun ,
I think it was more then that as police corruption was well known especially during the Prohibition era that ended just nine years before America declared war. In many cities such has NYC, Chicago, Los Angeles and New Orleans police corruption was not even hidden.
Still there was the twin threat of Nazism and outrage against Japan for the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor.
Young Americans were aware of local corruption but the federal government was not considered at the time to be corrupt more so local and state officials.
Post WWII there were various anti corruption efforts even violent clash's between returning WWII vets in Tennessee and Alabama.

The Time World War II Veterans Overthrew a Corrupt Local Government in Tennessee

The state and local political machine was abusing its power and the people in McMinn County, Tennessee, so GIs did something about it.

www.military.com

The battle of McMinn County Tennessee

The Battle of Athens: An Obscure American Revolution – Legends of America

Also known as the McMinn County War, this August 1946 battle between returning war veterans and sheriff's deputies was caused by voter suppression.

www.legendsofamerica.com

The story of Phenix City corruption - South Alabamian
In Phoenix City Alabama there wasn't so much WWII vets fighting the corrupt police and sherrifs deputies as there was in McMinn County Tennessee but there was a fair amount of violence as the FBI found two hundred bodies in the Chattahoochee River that separated Phenix City from Columbus, Georgia where then Ft Bragg was located. The Alabama National Guard largely composed in 1954 of WWII vets did enter Phenix City to restore order.

Leftyhunter

dubsar · Apr 13, 2024

Leftyhunter said:
Also @thevanillasun ,
I think it was more then that as police corruption was well known especially during the Prohibition era that ended just nine years before America declared war. In many cities such has NYC, Chicago, Los Angeles and New Orleans police corruption was not even hidden.
Still there was the twin threat of Nazism and outrage against Japan for the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor.
Young Americans were aware of local corruption but the federal government was not considered at the time to be corrupt more so local and state officials.
Post WWII there were various anti corruption efforts even violent clash's between returning WWII vets in Tennessee and Alabama.

The Time World War II Veterans Overthrew a Corrupt Local Government in Tennessee

The state and local political machine was abusing its power and the people in McMinn County, Tennessee, so GIs did something about it.

www.military.com

The battle of McMinn County Tennessee

The Battle of Athens: An Obscure American Revolution – Legends of America

Also known as the McMinn County War, this August 1946 battle between returning war veterans and sheriff's deputies was caused by voter suppression.

www.legendsofamerica.com

The story of Phenix City corruption - South Alabamian
In Phoenix City Alabama there wasn't so much WWII vets fighting the corrupt police and sherrifs deputies as there was in McMinn County Tennessee but there was a fair amount of violence as the FBI found two hundred bodies in the Chattahoochee River that separated Phenix City from Columbus, Georgia where then Ft Bragg was located. The Alabama National Guard largely composed in 1954 of WWII vets did enter Phenix City to restore order.

Leftyhunter

Again, this is something we can not talk about on this forum because any examples we both know will be after the year 2000, but a black conscript in the US Navy in WW II might be from a Jim Crow state, might be stuck loading ammunition ships that sometimes went 'boom', but could be reasonably confident that their full pay would arrive every month, that they would get most of the veterans' benefits they had been promised, and that if they were killed their family would get the benefits they had been promised. When an army collapses or has a double-digit annual desertion rate, often none of those is true!

There will be books, websites, and documentaries which talk about exactly how black etc. veterans' experience after the war was different from whites' as a class.

Leftyhunter · Apr 13, 2024

dubsar said:
Again, this is something we can not talk about on this forum because any examples we both know will be after the year 2000, but a black conscript in the US Navy in WW II might be from a Jim Crow state, might be stuck loading ammunition ships that sometimes went 'boom', but could be reasonably confident that their full pay would arrive every month, that they would get most of the veterans' benefits they had been promised, and that if they were killed their family would get the benefits they had been promised. When an army collapses or has a double-digit annual desertion rate, often none of those is true!

There will be books, websites, and documentaries which talk about exactly how black etc. veterans' experience after the war was different from whites' as a class.

I wasn't specifically discussing Afro American vets as they as far as I can tell were not involved in the battle of Athens , Tennessee. Not understanding the reference to the 2000 rule as police corruption was well known in the US as were other governmental corruption well before WWII. Even the popular movie " Mr.Smith Goes to Washington" staring future WWII general James Stewart referenced governmental corruption and came out before WWII started. Point being young people in the 1940s during WWII were not unaware of government corruption which was not even hidden.
Leftyhunter

OpanaPointer · Apr 14, 2024

dubsar said:
Again, this is something we can not talk about on this forum because any examples we both know will be after the year 2000, but a black conscript in the US Navy in WW II might be from a Jim Crow state, might be stuck loading ammunition ships that sometimes went 'boom', but could be reasonably confident that their full pay would arrive every month, that they would get most of the veterans' benefits they had been promised, and that if they were killed their family would get the benefits they had been promised. When an army collapses or has a double-digit annual desertion rate, often none of those is true!

There will be books, websites, and documentaries which talk about exactly how black etc. veterans' experience after the war was different from whites' as a class.

The blacks that served in the USN prior to the steam navy era were pretty much on the same level as ordinary seamen. I don't know of any who were promoted to warrant officer but it may have happened. After the steam navy came about they were relegated to engineroom/boiler room duties or served as stewards.

I joined the USN in 1969. Boot camp company was integrated. No sweat about race we had bigger problems, like inspections and the 96-count Manual of Arms. I was on a cruiser in the early 80s when Filipinos were allowed to serve in rating outside food service/laundry jobs. I coached one very bright young man on the finer arts of not getting killed in an engineroom. He took the coaching to heart.

dubsar · Apr 14, 2024

Leftyhunter said:
I wasn't specifically discussing Afro American vets as they as far as I can tell were not involved in the battle of Athens , Tennessee. Not understanding the reference to the 2000 rule as police corruption was well known in the US as were other governmental corruption well before WWII. Even the popular movie " Mr.Smith Goes to Washington" staring future WWII general James Stewart referenced governmental corruption and came out before WWII started. Point being young people in the 1940s during WWII were not unaware of government corruption which was not even hidden.
Leftyhunter

On this forum, we are not allowed to discuss any events after the year 2000. So we can not talk about some times since the year 2000 when a country was attacked and either young people rushed to enlist or the army disintegrated. The US before desegregation is the best example I could think of of "corrupt and unjust but not so much that people won't fight" that I could think of that we are both familiar with.

Leftyhunter · Apr 15, 2024

dubsar said:
On this forum, we are not allowed to discuss any events after the year 2000. So we can not talk about some times since the year 2000 when a country was attacked and either young people rushed to enlist or the army disintegrated. The US before desegregation is the best example I could think of of "corrupt and unjust but not so much that people won't fight" that I could think of that we are both familiar with.

Again where did I mention any corruption post 2000 please cite a specific example. I already pointed out that police corruption was rather well known well before WWII. Political machines such has Tamneny Hall during the Nineteenth Century and continuing well afterwards were known. I cited the movie " Mr Smith goes to Washington" which was a very popular movie produced prior to WWII that discussed governmental corruption.
Leftyhunter

dubsar · Apr 15, 2024

Leftyhunter said:
Again where did I mention any corruption post 2000 please cite a specific example. I already pointed out that police corruption was rather well known well before WWII. Political machines such has Tamneny Hall during the Nineteenth Century and continuing well afterwards were known. I cited the movie " Mr Smith goes to Washington" which was a very popular movie produced prior to WWII that discussed governmental corruption.
Leftyhunter

You said "Highly doubtful these days (ie. after the year 2000) that a star athlete with a brilliant future such has Bob Feller would put their highly lucrative athletic career on hold to risk their life for several years." Its easiest to give counterexamples after the year 2000 because in the late 20th century, the USA, UK, France etc. did not fight wars against powerful opponents who could seriously harm the country if they won.

Leftyhunter · Apr 15, 2024

dubsar said:
You said "Highly doubtful these days (ie. after the year 2000) that a star athlete with a brilliant future such has Bob Feller would put their highly lucrative athletic career on hold to risk their life for several years." Its easiest to give counterexamples after the year 2000 because in the late 20th century, the USA, UK, France etc. did not fight wars against powerful opponents who could seriously harm the country if they won.

I guess but corruption was more open in the 1940s then today.
Leftyhunter

dubsar · Apr 15, 2024

Basically, you have to mess up badly if your country is attacked by powerful outsiders and lots of young people with careers do not join up. You have to be incredibly clever to get lots of young people with careers to sign up to help one violent corrupt person fight another violent corrupt person for reasons that PhDs in political science have trouble explaining, or to chase bandits and pirates in a place they know nothing about. Whining that the second sentence is true is like whining that you get more workers when you pay them more and offer them more benefits.

Leftyhunter · Apr 15, 2024

dubsar said:
Basically, you have to mess up badly if your country is attacked by powerful outsiders and lots of young people with careers do not join up. You have to be incredibly clever to get lots of young people with careers to sign up to help one violent corrupt person fight another violent corrupt person for reasons that PhDs in political science have trouble explaining, or to chase bandits and pirates in a place they know nothing about. Whining that the second sentence is true is like whining that you get more workers when you pay them more and offer them more benefits.

Corruption in the 1940s was at least has far as the American was concerned more in the local and state level. During Prohibition which ended 1933 just eight years before the start of WW2 corruption was not even hidden. The federal government was considered more or less honest.
Leftyhunter

Leftyhunter · Apr 15, 2024

thevanillasun said:
Hi there,

I'd like to learn more about the home life of G.I.s after the Second World War, specifically in the first few weeks/months/years of returning stateside. I know that this would have vastly varied depending on the individual and their personal situations/experiences, but are there any first or second-hand accounts that will help me to understand this time period better? These are a few of the questions I'd like to answer:
1) Were the majority of soldiers happy to be home, away from the dangers of war, or was there an overarching feeling of sudden confinement after returning home, esp. to small, rural towns after having seen and experienced so much? I mean, I can imagine for many the whirlwind of the past few years would have suddenly ground to a halt, returning the the relative mundanity of their pre-war lives. Was there at all a feeling that life had passed them by, and/or a struggle assimilating to domesticity?
2) What was the impact of Roosevelt's 'G.I. Bill', specifically in rural districts? Was there a mass city-bound migration due to this?
3) Did domestic and international travel suddenly see a spike post-war? For example, I'm not sure of it's validity, but I read somewhere that motorcycle sales skyrocketed, due to purchases by returning service members. Also, as far as I know the birth of the Interstate was due to a post-war travel boom...

I have watched William Wyler's impactful 1946 film The Best Years of Our Lives which, though a bit melodramatic, does address this subject, but I'd like to know more. Any information would be much appreciated. Cheers!

Clark Gable while well over the draft age at 41 enlisted in the US Army after his wife famous actress Carol Lombard died in a plane crash while on a tour to sell war bonds. Gable wrote a letter to FDR seeking a combat assignment and FDR wrote back to " stay where you ate" meaning to stay in Hollywood making films but Gable arguably was seeking an honorable suicide as he was distraught over the death of his wife. Gable insisted and did fly a limited amount of combat missions over France and was once wounded by flak and survived the war where he made movies until his death in 1960 at age 59.
Leftyhunter

Leftyhunter · Apr 16, 2024

thevanillasun said:
Hi there,

I'd like to learn more about the home life of G.I.s after the Second World War, specifically in the first few weeks/months/years of returning stateside. I know that this would have vastly varied depending on the individual and their personal situations/experiences, but are there any first or second-hand accounts that will help me to understand this time period better? These are a few of the questions I'd like to answer:
1) Were the majority of soldiers happy to be home, away from the dangers of war, or was there an overarching feeling of sudden confinement after returning home, esp. to small, rural towns after having seen and experienced so much? I mean, I can imagine for many the whirlwind of the past few years would have suddenly ground to a halt, returning the the relative mundanity of their pre-war lives. Was there at all a feeling that life had passed them by, and/or a struggle assimilating to domesticity?
2) What was the impact of Roosevelt's 'G.I. Bill', specifically in rural districts? Was there a mass city-bound migration due to this?
3) Did domestic and international travel suddenly see a spike post-war? For example, I'm not sure of it's validity, but I read somewhere that motorcycle sales skyrocketed, due to purchases by returning service members. Also, as far as I know the birth of the Interstate was due to a post-war travel boom...

I have watched William Wyler's impactful 1946 film The Best Years of Our Lives which, though a bit melodramatic, does address this subject, but I'd like to know more. Any information would be much appreciated. Cheers!

Different WWII vets had different backgrounds . Charles Bronson son of poor Russian immigrants that lived in a coal mining town in Pennsylvania aling with a few other boys circa 1939 robbed the company store then rode the rails three hundred miles away. Bronson was shot by the Railroad Police who are private police meaning they are employees of a Railroad company but have full peace officer powers of arrest and are armed. Bronson was convicted of at least trespassing but his record was not held against him when he enlisted in the US Army in WWII and latter had a very successful career as a TV and international film star.
Leftyhunter

Leftyhunter · Apr 17, 2024

thevanillasun said:
Hi there,

I'd like to learn more about the home life of G.I.s after the Second World War, specifically in the first few weeks/months/years of returning stateside. I know that this would have vastly varied depending on the individual and their personal situations/experiences, but are there any first or second-hand accounts that will help me to understand this time period better? These are a few of the questions I'd like to answer:
1) Were the majority of soldiers happy to be home, away from the dangers of war, or was there an overarching feeling of sudden confinement after returning home, esp. to small, rural towns after having seen and experienced so much? I mean, I can imagine for many the whirlwind of the past few years would have suddenly ground to a halt, returning the the relative mundanity of their pre-war lives. Was there at all a feeling that life had passed them by, and/or a struggle assimilating to domesticity?
2) What was the impact of Roosevelt's 'G.I. Bill', specifically in rural districts? Was there a mass city-bound migration due to this?
3) Did domestic and international travel suddenly see a spike post-war? For example, I'm not sure of it's validity, but I read somewhere that motorcycle sales skyrocketed, due to purchases by returning service members. Also, as far as I know the birth of the Interstate was due to a post-war travel boom...

I have watched William Wyler's impactful 1946 film The Best Years of Our Lives which, though a bit melodramatic, does address this subject, but I'd like to know more. Any information would be much appreciated. Cheers!

Lee Marvin a major TV and movie star speaks bluntly of a war injury while fighting as an enlisted Marine in WWII.
L

Dreamhunter · Apr 17, 2024

Leftyhunter said:
Charles Bronson son of poor Russian immigrants that lived in a coal mining town in Pennsylvania aling with a few other boys circa 1939 robbed the company store then rode the rails three hundred miles away.

Leftyhunter said:
Bronson was shot by the Railroad Police who are private police meaning they are employees of a Railroad company but have full peace officer powers of arrest and are armed.

Leftyhunter said:
Bronson was convicted of at least trespassing but his record was not held against him when he enlisted in the US Army in WWII and latter had a very successful career as a TV and international film star.

Amazing, when one considers the seemingly genuine authentic image of CB as having been a cultured polished gentlemanly family man.

Reminds one of the quotation, "When I was young and irresponsible, I was young and, well, irresponsible."

OpanaPointer · Apr 18, 2024

Leftyhunter said:
Lee Marvin a major TV and movie star speaks bluntly of a war injury while fighting as an enlisted Marine in WWII.
L

"You knew the job was dangerous when you took it." Thanks, Gunny.

Leftyhunter · Apr 18, 2024

Dreamhunter said:
Amazing, when one considers the seemingly genuine authentic image of CB as having been a cultured polished gentlemanly family man.

Reminds one of the quotation, "When I was young and irresponsible, I was young and, well, irresponsible."

Actually Charles Bronson " stole" " seduced" or what ever term you want to use when he convinced Jill Ireland who in 1963 was married to a Scottish actor ( I will look up his name) while both men were costaring in West Germany in the classic movie " The Great Escape" which is inspired by true events but has a fair amount of dramatic license. Bronson told the actor " I am going to take ber way from you" and Bronson wasn't joking.

Leftyhunter

OpanaPointer · Apr 18, 2024

Ilya Kurakkan?

Leftyhunter · Apr 20, 2024

In 1997 a Charles Bronson fan left Bronson $300k USD and never even met him. Her family contested the will but the will was legally valid and Bronson donated it to a library in her memory.
Leftyhunter

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What was life like for returning American G.I.s after World War II?

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dubsar

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The Time World War II Veterans Overthrew a Corrupt Local Government in Tennessee

The Battle of Athens: An Obscure American Revolution – Legends of America

dubsar

The Time World War II Veterans Overthrew a Corrupt Local Government in Tennessee

The Battle of Athens: An Obscure American Revolution – Legends of America

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